For seven years, I had been the secret of Enzo Gallo, the new Don of the Gallo family.

When I went to register our son Lucas's birth, I discovered Enzo had already married his sister-in-law, Camilla, and claimed her child as his own.

Her child became the heir to the family, with all the privileges that entailed.

My child became a shameful bastard.

Years ago, after Enzo's brother died, the family elders gave Enzo one condition to become Don: he had to have an heir with his sister-in-law to secure the Gallo bloodline.

That night, Enzo held me close and swore I was his only true wife.

He promised that once Camilla gave birth, he would give me the wedding I deserved.

But he missed Lucas's birthday the day Camilla went into labor.

Instead of the wedding he promised me, all I got was the news of his marriage to his sister-in-law.

My son gently wiped away my tears with his small hand:

"Mamma, don't be sad. I changed my birthday wish. I don't want a Papa anymore."

"I don't care about being an heir. Having you is enough."

I pulled Lucas into my arms, swallowing the bitterness that rose in my throat.

"Who says you aren't an heir? Baby, Mamma is taking you home. To our family."

What Enzo doesn't know is that I am the only daughter of the most powerful Mafia family in Sicily. I never cared about being the Donna of the Gallo family.

For seven years, I had been the secret of Enzo Gallo, the new Don of the Gallo family.

When I went to register our son Lucas's birth, I discovered Enzo had already married his sister-in-law, Camilla, and claimed her child as his own.

Her child became the heir to the family, with all the privileges that entailed.

My child became a shameful bastard.

Years ago, after Enzo's brother died, the family elders gave Enzo one condition to become Don: he had to have an heir with his sister-in-law to secure the Gallo bloodline.

That night, Enzo held me close and swore I was his only true wife.

He promised that once Camilla gave birth, he would give me the wedding I deserved.

But he missed Lucas's birthday the day Camilla went into labor.

Instead of the wedding he promised me, all I got was the news of his marriage to his sister-in-law.

My son gently wiped away my tears with his small hand:

"Mamma, don't be sad. I changed my birthday wish. I don't want a Papa anymore."

"I don't care about being an heir. Having you is enough."

I pulled Lucas into my arms, swallowing the bitterness that rose in my throat.

"Who says you aren't an heir? Baby, Mamma is taking you home. To our family."

What Enzo doesn't know is that I am the only daughter of the most powerful Mafia family in Sicily. I never cared about being the Donna of the Gallo family.

...

"Franco, I'm giving notice. My last day will be in one month."

The Gallo family's Consigliere looked up in surprise, his cigar pausing mid-air.

"So suddenly? Does the Don know?"

I gave him the excuse I had prepared long ago.

"I have a family emergency back in Italy. A... medical crisis I need to handle."

Franco nodded thoughtfully, his expression unreadable.

"Fair enough. In our world, being the private physician for a man like Enzo means living on a knife's edge."

"And it's not easy raising a child alone."

I managed a smile. He wasn't wrong. I was, after all, about to become a single mother.

Yesterday, I went to City Hall to file for Lucas's birth certificate and social security number.

The clerk rejected me with a practiced smile. "I'm sorry, Ms. Bianchi. Mr. Gallo's records show he's already married. Furthermore, just the day before yesterday, they registered a newborn."

I froze, staring at the photocopy.

Enzo and Camilla's names were listed side by side, and the infant labeled "Heir" had stolen everything that should have belonged to Lucas.

My child had officially become illegitimate, a shameful secret.

As I walked out of the conference room, I came face to face with Enzo and Camilla.

Enzo Gallo, my...

What was he to me? My employer of seven years. The father of my son.

Seven years ago, I was a young medical student. Our son was conceived on a single drunken, rainy night.

I became his deepest secret, his hidden lover.

That same year, his older brother was killed in a gang war.

To inherit the title of Don, the family elders demanded he marry his sister-in-law, Camilla, and produce an heir with a pure Gallo bloodline.

And so, for seven years, we've maintained this clandestine relationship within the walls of this estate.

It's also the seventh year he has forbidden our son from calling him Papa.

Enzo walked slowly, his attention devoted to the woman beside him and the bundle in her arms.

Camilla wore expensive, custom-made flats, holding a newborn baby with gentle movements, one hand linked intimately with Enzo's arm.

Her face was a mixture of arrogance and the smug satisfaction of a woman who was already the Gallo family matriarch.

As we passed each other, my heart skipped a beat. I couldn't stop myself from speaking.

"Enzo..."

He stopped short. Those dark eyes, usually filled with lust and possession when they looked at me, were now icy. "Dr. Bianchi."

Polite, distant, and professional.

He was reminding me of my place: here on the estate, we were nothing more than employer and employee.

And the woman beside him was his one and only Donna, recognized by all Five Families.

I understood the warning in his eyes and swallowed the words I couldn't say.

"Don Gallo."

Enzo's Adam's apple bobbed. He gave a low "Mm" and kept walking, shielding Camilla and their child, as if the person he'd just passed was a complete stranger.

I gave a self-deprecating smile and swallowed the news of my immediate resignation.

It's not like he would care anyway.

A vibration from my pocket pulled me from my thoughts. It was a message from Lucas on his GPS watch.

[Mamma, is Papa coming home for my birthday?]

I froze for a second and instinctively glanced back.

I saw Enzo lean down, cooing at the infant in Camilla's arms, reveling in his new role as a father.

When a family member walked by, he reflexively pulled Camilla and the baby closer, the affection in his eyes impossible to miss.

Suppressing the ache in my chest, I sent a message to Enzo's private, encrypted number.

[Today is Lucas's sixth birthday. Are you free tonight?]

From fifty feet away, I saw Enzo glance at his phone, then set it down less than three seconds later without a change in his expression.

He went back to listening to Camilla's whispers.

Staring at the unanswered message, I laughed at my own foolishness.

Aurora, when are you going to wake up?

In moments of passion, he'd sworn that once Camilla gave birth to the Gallo heir, he would make me his true Donna.

But now the heir was born and legally registered, and I felt like a monumental joke.

And to think I had actually believed him.

I shoved the phone back into my pocket, took a deep breath, and turned to leave.

Enzo, you're going to be free very soon.

Back in the secluded annex where we lived, I pushed open the door to find Lucas's small form perched on the windowsill.

When he saw me, his eyes lit up.

"Mamma, it's my birthday."

His next words were:

"Mamma, is Papa going to celebrate with me?"

"He said a man only marries the woman he loves most. Why hasn't he married you yet?"

Looking at the little face so much like Enzo's, I thought of the marriage certificate bearing Camilla's name, and my eyes began to sting.

"Lucas, your papa, he..."

Before I could finish, my phone rang.

Enzo had finally replied.

[I have time. I'll be home.]

A surge of joy washed over me, and I nodded eagerly.

"Don't worry, Lucas. Papa is coming home."

My son clapped his hands and threw himself into my arms with excitement.

For seven years, this was the first time Enzo had ever promised to be with his son on his birthday.

That evening, I prepared a table of exquisite dishes. Lucas, dressed in his neatest little shirt, sat obediently in his chair.

One hour, two hours, three hours...

The candles had burned halfway down. The steak was completely cold.

I sent him message after message, asking where he was.

Just like countless times before, they went unanswered, sinking like stones in the sea.

Lucas seemed to understand. He looked up at me, his voice soft and hesitant.

"Mamma, does Papa have family business to take care of again?"

A sharp pain shot through my heart. I wanted to make an excuse for him, but the words wouldn't come.

All I could manage to say was, "It's okay. Mamma will always be with you."

Lucas didn't ask again and quietly picked up his birthday hat.

"Mamma, will you help me put it on?"

I nodded. As I reached for it, a notification on my phone caught my eye. It was a new social media post from Camilla.

[The Little Prince of the Gallo family has arrived. The greatest gift God could give us.]

The picture showed an infant's tiny hand grasping Enzo's finger, his own hand, wearing the family signet ring, wrapped tightly around the small fist.

Though his face wasn't visible, I could still make out the gold script on a folder lying on a marble table: "Gallo Heir Christening & Wedding of the Century."

He had finally gotten what he wanted. He had made his sister-in-law bear him a child, fulfilled his family duty, and now he was going to give her the grandest ceremony.

How ironic.

For seven years, I had been his shadow, his doctor, his secret in the dark.

Camilla didn't just have his name; soon she would have all of him, for the whole world to see.

He had sworn to love only me, but the woman he would marry before God and present to the Five Families was someone else.

Our son's sixth birthday had become a celebration for his other child's birth.

I liked the post and locked my screen.

The last of my bitterness cooled into ash.

"Make a wish, Lucas."

The candlelight flickered.

Lucas didn't close his eyes immediately. Instead, he reached out with his small hand to gently wipe away a tear I hadn't realized had fallen.

"Mamma, don't be sad," he whispered.

"I changed my birthday wish. I don't want a Papa anymore."

"I don't care about being an heir. I have you, and that's enough."

He finally closed his eyes, his lashes casting tiny shadows on his cheeks.

"I want to be with Mamma forever."

My throat tightened. I took out my phone and captured the moment.

The idea of leaving, a seed planted long ago, had finally taken root.

"Okay, Mamma promises."

That night, neither of us mentioned Enzo again.

It was as if this family had only ever been the two of us.

After Lucas fell asleep, I pulled the formal resignation letter I'd already prepared from a drawer.

The last of my hesitation vanished.

Enzo came back at two in the morning.

He brought the sharp chill of the night in with him, mixed with gunpowder, antiseptic, the faint scent of baby formula, and Camilla's perfume.

Seeing the untouched cake on the table, his hand paused as he loosened his tie, a flicker of regret in his eyes.

"Sorry," he said. "I forgot."

He moved to kiss my forehead, but I turned away.

"Camilla has some postpartum depression, and the baby had a fever. I was with them at the safe house."

He said it so matter-of-factly, as if it were his duty and I was expected to understand.

I found it laughable. He had seen the string of reminders on his phone.

Did he truly just ignore them?

Or was the new "Gallo heir" so precious that he could forget everything else?

I pulled out the resignation letter, already turned to the signature page, and held it out to him. My hands were perfectly steady.

"Since you're back, sign this..."

Before I could finish, the encrypted phone in his pocket began to vibrate wildly.

The moment he answered, his second-in-command, Marco, was on the line, his voice panicked.

"Don! There was an incident on the north side. Donna was frightened, the heir won't stop crying..."

Enzo was on his feet in an instant, any trace of guilt he might have felt for me gone.

"Tell her not to be scared. Lock down the scene. I'm on my way."

After hanging up, he didn't even glance at the document. He just grabbed a pen and scrawled his name across the bottom.

"Camilla just had the baby, the elders are watching, and I need to handle the wedding. I'll be at the safe house for a while. I won't be coming back here."

He didn't even ask what the document was.

I took a step back into the shadows and watched his retreating figure.

Enzo, this was your choice.

And you need to remember that you're the one who pushed me away.

The next day, I returned to the estate to organize my final medical files.

To my surprise, Enzo showed up.

He handed me a heavy, black gun case. "A birthday present for Lucas. I was too busy yesterday, I forgot to give it to him."

I paused, then took the case and opened it.

Cold metal glinted inside. It was a realistic replica.

And the one thing Lucas feared more than anything was guns.

When he was four, Enzo had taken him out. They were passing by a trading dock when they were ambushed.

The gunfire and blood had terrified young Lucas so much that he had a high fever for three days.

Since then, even the sound of firecrackers would make him tremble.

And this father, who claimed to love his son, had given him a gun.

"I know he's afraid, but he's my son. A Gallo man can't be a coward."

Enzo didn't notice my stiffness. Instead, he wrapped an arm around my waist and whispered in my ear.

"Aurora, do me a favor."

"The medical facilities at the estate are the best. Camilla's condition, and the newborn's immune system, require an absolutely sterile and quiet environment."

He paused, his eyes holding the same deep affection that had once made me fall for him.

"You don't have to work today. Go home, pack your things, and take Lucas to the city apartment for a while. Okay? For me."

Even though I was prepared, his words still felt like a bullet, piercing straight through my heart.

I looked at him in disbelief.

"So, to make room for Camilla and her child, you're kicking me and our son out?"

"You can't even spare us this small attic?"

Enzo sighed, running his fingers through my hair as if calming a difficult pet.

"How can you call it kicking you out? It's just temporary."

"You know I have no feelings for that woman. But she gave birth to the family's first grandson, and the elders are watching closely. Once the baby gets a little older, I'll send her away, and this place will be yours again."

"Be good, Aurora. Don't make this difficult."

I laughed. It was all so absurd.

He always told me to be good.

Was I supposed to keep being his good little secret? The other woman, the hidden mistress standing in the shadow of his new Donna?

I pushed his hand away. "I understand," I said, looking down and continuing to organize the files on my desk.

"I'll take Lucas and leave as soon as possible. We won't get in your way."

We were leaving anyway. What difference did a little sooner or later make?

Enzo seemed taken aback by how easily I agreed.

After a moment, he leaned in and kissed the corner of my mouth.

"I knew you'd understand. Once this is all over, I'll take you to Paris."

"You know you're the only one for me."

I didn't look up. I just remained silent.

The damage was done. No amount of compensation could undo it.

As for a trip to relax, that wouldn't be necessary.

Back in the attic, I packed our bags as quickly as I could.

With no trace of sentimentality, I took Lucas's hand and walked out the door.

Just as we reached the estate gates, we ran into Enzo driving in.

He had one hand on Camilla's waist, the other carrying a baby carrier, his tenderness a sharp pain in my chest.

The moment our eyes met, I saw a clear flash of panic in his.

Camilla cried out in surprise, glancing at the baby beside her. "Dr. Bianchi? What are you doing here?"

I instinctively moved to block Lucas from her view.

"I..."

"He's the son of a distant relative," Enzo cut in before I could speak. "She's just watching him for a few days."

My fingers tightened on the handle of my suitcase, my knuckles turning white.

I had endured being hidden away for seven years.

But every time he erased our existence so cleanly, it still felt like a scalpel to the heart.

I was about to speak, but Lucas beat me to it. "Good morning, Don Gallo."

His small voice was cold and distant.

I glanced down and saw the telltale redness in my son's eyes.

My poor Lucas. I could see the effort it took for him to hold back his tears.

"Mamma, let's go."

My throat felt tight, as if it were stuffed with cotton. All my sorrow melted into a forced smile. "Okay."

As we walked past, Enzo grabbed my wrist.

He stared at me, the panic in his eyes now undeniable. "What... what did he call me?"

I shook his hand off. "Isn't that what you've always wanted, Don Gallo?"

For seven years, for the sake of "family security," Enzo had never allowed Lucas to call him Papa in front of anyone.

The only difference was that before, he had forced our son to be silent. This time, Lucas was severing the tie himself.

I tried to pull free, but he only gripped me tighter.

Enzo lowered his voice, his tone softening slightly. "Aurora, don't be like this. Just give me a few more months."

"Once Camilla's child is older and my position in the family is secure, I will explain everything to Lucas."

I reminded him, "Camilla is waiting for you. Let go."

Enzo seemed to finally remember the other woman was there, and his fingers reluctantly loosened their grip.

I scoffed and took Lucas's hand, ready to leave.

"Wait."

Enzo suddenly called out again. He turned and retrieved a lavishly wrapped velvet box from the back seat.

"Lucas," he said. "Happy birthday."

It was a box of artisanal hazelnut chocolates from Turin.

Camilla chose that moment to step forward and link her arm with Enzo's, her tone dismissive.

"Enzo, aren't those what you bought to celebrate the baby's arrival? Since your cousin's child is having a birthday, you might as well give it to him. Let him share in the heir's good fortune."

"You should be grateful, Dr. Bianchi."

The gift box felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

I was about to throw it back at them when I saw a flicker of hope in Lucas's eyes.

My heart softened, and I hesitated.

My son didn't understand the cruel games adults played. He just looked up at Enzo and asked,

"Can you eat it with me?"

Enzo hesitated for only a second, glancing at Camilla and the baby in the carrier before he nodded.

"Of course."

Lucas cheered and eagerly reached for the ribbon.

My eyes scanned the ingredients on the box, and the color drained from my face.

"Stop! Don't eat that!"

My hand shot out, knocking the expensive box of chocolates to the ground.

The exquisite chocolates scattered in the dust.

Enzo's face darkened instantly. "Aurora! Are you insane?"

I looked up, my eyes red, my voice trembling.

"Lucas has a severe nut allergy. One bite could kill him. You didn't know that?"

Enzo froze, panic washing over his face.

"Sorry. I forgot."

Another "sorry." I was so tired of that word.

My son stared at the dusty chocolates on the ground, the light in his eyes completely extinguished.

He tugged on my sleeve, his voice heartbreakingly calm.

"It's okay, Mamma."

"It's okay that Don Gallo didn't know. After all, it was for his wife, and.. the new baby."

With that, he buried his face in my coat and refused to look at the man again.

I couldn't stand it a second longer. I scooped up my son and strode toward the waiting car.

Even after the car door closed, I could see Enzo in the rearview mirror, still standing there, his expression a mixture of guilt and confusion.

But this time, neither my son nor I would be looking back.

After leaving the estate, I went directly to a private airport. I had wanted a dignified farewell, but now I saw there was no need.

The resignation letter he had signed was already on his desk.

I took out my phone and, with a few decisive taps, blocked his number.

Before we boarded the plane, I stroked my son's hair.

"Mamma is taking you somewhere very far away. Will you be angry?"

Lucas shook his head, his small hand clutching my fingers tightly.

"As long as I'm with Mamma, I'll go anywhere."

Tears streamed down my face, but as I watched the city skyline shrink below, seven years of humiliation and pain finally dissolved into nothing.

Goodbye, Enzo.

The next day, Enzo walked into his office, on edge.

The scene from yesterday had been a thorn in his side, keeping him up all night.

Just as he sat down, the family Consigliere knocked and entered, a strange look on his face.

"Don, I believe you signed this before."

He placed a single sheet of paper on the polished desk. "I thought you should see it immediately."

At the top of the page, in crisp, formal type, were two words:

The subject line read: [Resignation Letter: Dr. Aurora Bianchi]